Thirteen professionals, including one female rank, have graduated from the inaugural Certificate in Defence Studies programme of the National Defence Institute (NDI), with Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Walrond, calling on the graduates to use their training to strengthen Guyana’s institutions and respond to the increasingly complex demands of national development and security.
Addressing the inaugural graduation ceremony, Minister Walrond said Guyana’s rapid economic transformation has created an urgent need for such an institution.
She stressed that the country cannot pursue modernisation while leaving its security architecture behind.
“Guyana has taken another deliberate step towards building the intellectual, institutional and strategic capacity required to defend our sovereignty, protect our national interests, and secure the extraordinary development taking place across our country,” the minister explained.
Minister Walrond said the government is therefore placing emphasis not only on acquiring modern security assets, but also on developing the people capable of understanding, commanding and deploying those resources effectively.
She described the establishment of the NDI as part of a deliberate national effort to build the capacity required to navigate an increasingly complex strategic environment, noting that the Institute has moved from concept to a functioning institution in less than two years.
The minister also highlighted the significance of the first cohort, including the participation of a woman, among the graduates.
She said while the inaugural class is small, its impact can be significant, particularly as leadership is measured not by numbers but by the quality of decisions and the difference individuals can make within their institutions.
Minister Walrond also cautioned leaders against resisting new ideas from emerging professionals, stressing that graduates must be given the space to make decisions, learn from mistakes and demonstrate their leadership capabilities.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the NDI Advisory Board, Colonel Sheldon Howell, said the graduation represents the realisation of a vision to develop strategic thinkers capable of addressing modern security challenges through cooperation, analysis and foresight.
Colonel Howell encouraged the graduates to look beyond their individual uniforms and agencies, noting that contemporary threats do not arrive neatly defined as military, police, fire or corrections matters. He urged greater information sharing, interagency cooperation and continued intellectual development.
NDI Director, Dr Randolph Persaud, also emphasised the importance of producing leaders who can think strategically and adapt to a rapidly changing security environment. He noted that the inaugural graduates now have a responsibility to apply their knowledge in practice and contribute to Guyana’s national security community.
The Certificate in Defence Studies programme exposed participants to strategic studies, human security and development, foreign policy analysis, operational planning, interagency cooperation, joint operations and security processes.
Minister Walrond said the government expects the NDI to develop into a national and regional centre of excellence for defence scholarship, security research, strategic policy development, professional military education, executive leadership and cybersecurity.
She charged the graduates to protect their integrity, challenge complacency and ensure that the knowledge gained in the classroom translates into stronger institutions and better outcomes for Guyanese.
The minister also reminded the inaugural cohort that, as the first graduates, they have a responsibility to establish a standard for future cohorts and help shape the continued development of the Institute and Guyana’s national security architecture. [DPI]
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